What is a complaint?
Any expression of dissatisfaction with our service is a complaint.
Our commitment
Maxwell Hodge is committed to providing excellent client service and we therefore take complaints seriously. We aim to deal with complaints fairly and in a reasonable timeframe. Where possible, we encourage you to try to resolve your complaint at an early stage with the person handling your matter, or the member of staff concerned.
Where we recognise that our service levels have not been reached, any learning from a complaint will be used to improve our service and reduce the likelihood of them occurring in the future. We therefore welcome the opportunity to respond and resolve any client concerns.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and will take appropriate action to address any allegations in this regard.
Reasonable adjustments
Clients requiring this procedure in an alternative format, e.g., large text, should contact our Client Complaints Officer (currently Simon Leyland), to request the same.
How can a complaint be raised?
First Step: By Informal Resolution:
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, you are asked to firstly raise a complaint with the lawyer dealing with your matter, or other member of staff concerned, to determine whether the issue(s) can be resolved at an early stage. You can contact them by phone or email, and you should give them an opportunity to respond to your concerns, and to try to rectify the issue(s) with you.
Second Step: Formal Complaint:
If you are unable to informally resolve your complaint, or do not wish to, you can make a formal complaint. You should put your formal complaint in writing, summarising the issues concerned, and send it via post or email to our Client Complaints Officer (CCO) who is currently Simon Leyland.
By Post:
FAO Simon Leyland
Maxwell Hodge, Turret House, 3 Chapel Lane, Formby, Merseyside, L37 4DL.
By Email: simonleyland@maxweb.co.uk
How will the complaint be handled?
Upon receipt of a written client complaint the CCO will: –
- Record that complaint in the Central Register noting the client’s name, branch, the person dealing with their matter, matter number, nature of complaint and the date opened.
- Send an acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint to the client within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. This acknowledgement will include a copy of this procedure so that the client is aware of its contents and has the contact details of the Legal Ombudsman should they be required. The acknowledgment will also confirm the person who will investigate the complaint and their anticipated turnaround time for the response.
- Personally investigate the matter, including speaking with the lawyer or member of staff concerned, and reviewing the client file. The CCO may lack the expert knowledge to investigate complaints outside types of work which they currently practice in. In such cases, they may refer the complaint to the relevant Team Leader or Director Responsible for investigation and response. They will keep the CCO advised of the progress of the complaint and will advise the CCO of the outcome and any procedural changes or training which may be required.
- Provide the client with a full written response within 20 working days from the date we acknowledged receipt of the complaint. (From either the CCO or person investigating the complaint).
If there is any good reason why any timescale cannot be met, the CCO or person investigating the complaint will advise the client accordingly as soon as possible.
Investigation and Outcome
Complaints will be dealt with promptly, fairly, and free of charge. In doing so, the CCO, or person investigating the complaint, will:
- Understand client concerns and answer any queries raised by the client following the client receiving the complaint response.
- Apologise where it is appropriate to do so.
- Use their best endeavours to provide an outcome which either resolves the complaint or satisfies the client.
- Make any compensatory offer if appropriate.
- Where appropriate, agree with the client a plan to take the matter forward.
- If the complaint is not accepted either in whole or part, explain to the client the reasons for that.
- Advise the client when it may be appropriate to seek independent legal advice.
Legal Ombudsman
If a client remains dissatisfied at the end of our complaints process, they are then at liberty to contact the Legal Ombudsman (LO) who investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers. Clients should note that the LO allows service providers 8 weeks to investigate and respond to the complaint and to try put things right. Complainants must therefore refer their concerns to the LO after this period and within 6 months of the date of our final complaint response (as per the LO’s time limit rules).
The LO expects complaints to be made to them within 1-year of the date of the act or omission about which the complainant is concerned or within 1-year of the complainant realising there was a concern. Please note that the LO cannot deal with a complaint about a bill if the client has applied to the Court for assessment of that bill.
The contact details for the Legal Ombudsman are as follows:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333 between 8.30am and 5.30pm (calls to 03 numbers will cost no more than calls to national geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02) from both mobiles and landlines. Calls are recorded and may be used for training and monitoring purposes.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Postal address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
Maxwell Hodge currently only takes part in the Legal Ombudsman’s scheme. Alternative complaints resolution bodies will not be used.
Complaints to the SRA
If there is a professional or regulatory issue which we have not resolved with a client via their complaint, and they feel their complaint is about our behaviour, then they can raise their concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. For further details, please visit the SRA’s website: http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page
